To analyse the effect of purified immunoglobulins (IgG) with anti-factor VIII or lupus anticoagulant activity on factor VIII measured by chromogenic substrate (factor VIIICS), in order to validate the chromogenic substrate method for detection of anti-factor VIII activity in the presence of lupus anticoagulant. IgG fractions were purified (affinity chromatography) from normal plasmas (IgG-N) and plasmas with anti-factor VIII (IgG-aFVIII) or lupus anticoagulant (IgG-LA). A normal plasma pool was prepared as source of factor VIII in the inhibition tests. Mixtures of this pool with IgG-N, IgG-aFVIII, IgG-LA or IgG-aFVIII+IgG-LA were tested immediately or after 2 h at 37 °C by factor VIIICS method; inhibition index (Ii) and post-incubation index (Ip) were calculated. The inhibitory and progressive inhibitory effects produced by IgG-aFVIII+IgG-LA (Ii:30%±0.7; Ip:55%±2.7) were similar to those observed with IgG-aFVIII (Ii:30%±0.6; Ip:55%±2.7). The IgG-LA did not inhibit the factor VIIIcs activity. As was observed in plasma samples, IgG-aFVIII and the mixture of IgG-aFVIII+IgG-LA inhibited factor VIIICS, whereas IgG-LA did not. These results confirm the specificity of the amidolytic method in detecting anti-factor VIII inhibitors independently of the presence of lupus anticoagulant, thus solving the diagnostic problem in haemophilia A.